At the close of a session or upon completion of a class, the instructor reports a final grade indicating the quality of a student's work in the class. The University Registrar's deadlines for submitting grades each semester or session must be met. Failure to do so creates problems for students such as loss of employment, scholarships, financial aid, and opportunities for further study. Once grades are submitted to the University Registrar, they are final and cannot be changed unless evidence of an error can be presented or a formal grade appeal process is completed in accordance with Ohio University's official grade appeal policy (see the Faculty Handbook, Section IV-C). Grades cannot be changed by arranging to complete additional work. Grade point values are assigned for each semester hour of credit completed according to the grading system below.

The basis for determining a student's scholastic standing is the grade point average (g.p.a.). This average is determined by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total number of semester hours of credit attempted. For example, if a student earned a C (2.0) and a B (3.0) in each of two three-hour courses, first multiply the number of hours in each course by the grade point value for that grade (3 x 2 = 6 and 3 x 3 = 9) and add the grade points for each course together to find the total number of grade points (15). Then add the number of hours attempted (3 + 3 = 6) and divide the total number of grade points by the total hours attempted (15/6 = 2.5). The student's g.p.a. after completing the two classes would be 2.5.

A student's g.p.a. is figured only on credit hours attempted - courses for which the student receives letter grades (A-F), FN (failure, never attended), or FS (failure, stopped attending). FN and FS have the same value as an F. Grades of P (pass) and CR (credit) represent hours earned but are not used to calculate the g.p.a.

Ohio University has used a 4.0 grading system since 1941-42. Plus and minus grades were added in 1973-74.

II. Grades Used in GPA Calculation

LetterGrade

Numerical Equivalent(Grade Point Value)

Description

Assigned byFaculty Member

A

4.00

Excellent

Yes

A-

3.67

Excellent

Yes

B+

3.33

Good

Yes

B

3.00

Good

Yes

B-

2.67

Good

Yes

C+

2.33

Acceptable

Yes

C

2.00

Acceptable

Yes

C-

1.67

Acceptable

Yes

D+

1.33

Passing but Minimally Acceptable

Yes

D

1.00

Passing but Minimally Acceptable

Yes

D-

0.67

Passing but Minimally Acceptable

Yes

F

0.00

Failing

Yes

FN

0.00

Failure, Never Attended. This grade is given when the student does not officially drop a class for which he or she is officially registered but did not attend. FN counts as an F in the g.p.a. As with any other undergraduate grade in a nonrepeatable course, the FN may be replaced in the grade point average by the last grade earned if the course is retaken.

Yes

FS

0.00

Failure, Stopped Attending. This grade is given when the student stops attending but does not officially drop a course for which he or she officially registered and attended at least once. It counts as an F in the g.p.a. In addition, the last date of attendance indicated is recorded on the student's academic record. Like any other undergraduate grade in a nonrepeatable course, the FS may be replaced in the grade point average by the last grade earned if the course is retaken.

Yes

I*

0.00

Administrative Incomplete. Calculated as "F." Student either did not attend or stopped attending without officially withdrawing. Replaced with FN and FS Fall Quarter 1998-99.

Yes - Inactive

III. Credit Only - Included in Hours Earned But Not Used in GPA Calculation

LetterGrade

Numerical Equivalent(Grade Point Value)

Description

Assigned byFaculty Member

CR

N/A

Credit. A report of credit may be made for certain preapproved courses. Credit is to be used primarily for graduate level courses. Regardless of the level, using a CR grade for a specific course requires prior approval of the University Curriculum Council. Some colleges may limit the number of CRs applied to major and degree requirements

Yes

P

N/A

Pass. Conversion of grades A through D- under the pass/fail option. The pass/fail option is designed to encourage students to explore areas of study which they might otherwise hesitate to enter. To be eligible, the student must have a g.p.a. of 2.5 or better for his or her latest semester of full-time enrollment, or have an accumulative g.p.a. of 2.0 or better. First-semester freshmen automatically qualify. The pass/fail grading option is subject to the following restrictions:

No course taken pass/fail may be used to fulfill any graduation requirement (college, school, or departmental) other than the total hours requirement. For example, courses taken pass/fail cannot be used to meet distribution requirements, minor or certificate requirements, requirements of courses above a specified level, a specific course established as a major requirement, or any other such requirements in the student's program. Colleges may refuse permission to use the pass/fail option for courses that are eligible to meet any such requirements that have not already been met by the student; if they do grant permission in such a case, the student will have to meet that requirement with some other course. Such courses taken pass/fail prior to the student's entering a program cannot apply to program requirements other than total hours for graduation.

The student may take no more than one class per semester or session by pass/fail.

The student may complete no more than 12 semester hours under this option.

The instructor is not to know who elects his or her course on the pass/fail option. A letter grade will be turned in and then converted to a P or F on the student's academic record by the University Registrar. The original letter grade cannot be retrieved.

To initiate the pass/fail option the student should register for the class online, and then contact his or her academic dean's student services office or regional campus student services office (no later than the Friday of the second week of the semester or the Friday of the first week of a session) to request that a class be taken pass/fail. Pass/fail requests by regional campus students are reviewed by the student's college student services office on the Athens campus, and may be denied if an inappropriate choice has been made. Pass/fail applications cannot be processed online by the student.

IV. No Credit - Not Included in Hours Earned and Not Used in GPA Calculation

LetterGrade

Numerical Equivalent(Grade Point Value)

Description

Assigned byFaculty Member

AU

N/A

Audit. Indicates formal participation in a class, but not for credit or a regular grade. The student who registers for an audit is expected to attend and participate in the class according to the instructor's policy. Failing to do so can result in removal of the Audit from the record. (If this action results in a change of fees, the university policy on refund of registration fees will apply.) Audited classes are calculated in the tuition fees.

No

I

N/A

Incomplete. Receiving an "I" means that the student has not completed the work required for a regular grade. The student must have the instructor's permission to receive the Incomplete. The student must complete the work within the first two weeks of his or her next semester of enrollment or two years from the end of the term in which the grade of "I" was given, whichever comes first, or the "I" converts automatically to an "F." The instructor may, at his or her discretion, submit a change of grade request to the Office of the University Registrar.

When the student applies for graduation, any Incompletes on the record will be calculated as "F" grades for the purpose of determining eligibility for graduation and will be converted to "F" upon graduation.

Yes

NC

N/A

No Credit. Conversion of freshman D, I, and F grades from Summer Quarter 1969-70 through Summer Quarter 1976-77 for courses taken under the ABC Grading System option. Also replaces all F grades under Segmented Transcript Policy (began Fall Quarter 1985-86).

NC grades are submitted by faculty to indicate non-passing performance by students in courses in the Ohio Program of Intensive English (OPIE).

No - except for OPIE

NR

N/A

No Report. This grade is assigned when:

The instructor does not report the grade;

The instructor reports the grade too late for semester grade processing; or

The instructor reports an ineligible grade for the grade eligibility code of the course.

No

PR

N/A

Progress. This grade is primarily used at the graduate level and applies only to a few very specific pre-approved undergraduate courses that are designed to span more than one semester or session. This grade indicates that the student has made progress in the course but has not finished the work required for a letter grade. It may extend longer than one semester.

Withdrawn Passing. This grade designates classes dropped after the Friday of the second week of the semester (Friday of the first week of a session). (Prior to Fall Semester 2012-13, this grade designated classes dropped after the 15th day.) It indicates that the student was passing at the time of withdrawal.

Yes

WF

N/A

Withdrawn Failing. This grade designates classes dropped after the Friday of the second week of the semester (Friday of the first week of a session). (Prior to Fall Semester 2012-13, this grade designated classes dropped after the 15th day.) It indicates that the student was failing at the time of withdrawal.

Yes

A course for which a grade has been assigned by a faculty member will not be removed from the student's academic record without approval of the Tuition Appeal Review Panel (see Policy 12.050) and in accordance with the Faculty Handbook, Section IV-C.

V. Repeating a Course

Repeating a course is to complete a course more than once for credit. This can be done only with repeatable courses, which are designed to be taken multiple times (e.g., MUS 3400, PSY 4900). Some departments place a limit on the total number of credits that may be earned in a given repeatable course.

VI. Retaking a Course

A regular course with fixed content can be retaken to affect the student's g.p.a. Retaking the course removes the hours and the effect of the earlier grades from the calculation of the g.p.a. However, all grades appear on the permanent academic record (transcript). The last grade earned is the one used to calculate the g.p.a., even if it is lower than the earlier grade(s), and only the last instance's credit hours are accepted toward any requirements for graduation. Some graduate and professional schools will include all grades in their own calculation of the g.p.a. when determining a student's eligibility for admission, even though Ohio University calculates the g.p.a. using only the last grade in a retaken course.

Courses taken at Ohio University and retaken at another university are not eligible for grade point adjustment under this policy. Effective Summer Quarter 2010-11, the university limits the number of times an undergraduate course may be retaken to a maximum of two in addition to the first attempt.

Retaking a course after graduation will not change graduation g.p.a. or honors status.

VII. Transfer Credit Grades

Beginning Summer Quarter 2010-11, grades for all acceptable transfer courses are recorded with "T" preceding the grade earned on the student's academic record and the Degree Audit (DARS) Report. Effective Fall Quarter 2005-2006, Ohio University accepts and applies transfer courses from Ohio public institutions in which grades of D+, D, or D- are earned. Prior to Summer Quarter 2010-11, these courses reflected a "TD" grade on the student's academic record and DARS (per Ohio Board of Regents policy to ensure the equitable treatment of transfer students across Ohio's public institutions of higher education). The number of hours of credit earned at each institution is recorded on the permanent record, but no grades are recorded. Transfer students, therefore, enter Ohio University with no g.p.a. on their Ohio University academic records.

Prior to Fall Quarter 2005-2006, D+, D, or D- grades were not transferable. However, if a student earned a D+, D, or D- in a course which was a specific prerequisite (as stated in the academic catalog of the prior school) to a course in which the student earned a grade of C- or better, then the course in which the D+, D, or D- was received was accepted for credit earned, and the "T" was recorded on DARS.

VIII. Segmented Transcript Policy

The segmented transcript policy was developed as a way to allow students who leave the university with low grades and re-enroll after an absence of four or more years to begin coursework without the threat of academic probation. Under this policy, all of the student's courses are reflected on the transcript, but the grades earned earlier that affect the g.p.a. are changed temporarily to CR (for any passing grade) and NC (for any failing grade), which removes them from the calculation of the accumulative g.p.a., while the hours earned will be carried forward.

The new g.p.a. after segmentation will be used for determining probationary status and liability of being academically dropped. The new g.p.a. also may be used, at the discretion of relevant officials or committees, to determine eligibility for entrance to academic programs or for scholarships and honor societies, although they also have the option of using the combined (true) g.p.a.

However, the g.p.a. for determining the 2.0 minimum overall g.p.a. for graduation and in the major, as well as honor status at graduation, is based on all hours attempted at Ohio University, including those attempted before segmentation. Upon graduation, the University Registrar will return all grades to the originals and recalculate the g.p.a.

Subsequent gaps of four or more years will not qualify students for further transcript segmentation.

The student must petition the student services office of the college dean to have the transcript segmented.

Draft versions of this policy that were circulated for review, their cover memos, their forms, and Reviewers' comments on them are available on the password-protected Review site, at https://www.ohio.edu/policy2/12-040/.

Prior versions of this policy were approved on July 1, 1987, and August 28, 1973.